Impregnating apparatus



Patented May 11,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET lm uv -l W. V. LANDER.

I'MPREG-NATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1918.

'w. v. LANDER.

IMPREGNATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1918.

Patented May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 invented-11c mania, or NEWTON, MAssAcfiirsErrs, nssrenon. 'ro GENERAL mnunarnvdigeoaronn'rron, on NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION or NEW Specification of Letters Patent.

L'iMPREGNATING 'APBARATUS.

Patented May 11,1920.

Original applicationrflled December-20,1916, Serial No. 137,959. Patent No. 1,277,322. Divided and this application filed July 31, 1918. Serial No. 247,662.

To all whom it may concern:

"Be'it known-that I, WINTWORTH V. LAN- DEn; citizen of the Umted States of America, amt-resident of Newton, in the county of nd-State of Massachusetts, have w andjuseful Improvements in Impregnating'fApparatus, of which the following is a specification;-

This invention relates to apparatus for filling or impregnating bodies characterized by porous. of interstitial structure and which are therefore bibulous, the present applica- 'tion being-a division of my. pr1or application Sr. No. 137,959, filed December 20, 1916 (Pat. No. 1,277 ,322, granted Aug. 27, 1918.)

The bodies or substances which are susceptible of treatment -by my new apparatus are exemplified by compressed r wood-pulp articles, such as pulp-boards', pails, toilet- .seats,j-etc., and alsoflexible sheet-"materials vsuch .as paper, textiles, paper board, leather board, and leather, all of which are characterized-by interstitial-structure and capable .of taking up a liquid by capillary absorption. The present" apparatus may be em ployed to impregnate these and other articles either superficially or through and through. A primary object of my invention is to render porous or bibulous bodies impervious or resistant to water by reason of the increased orenhanced internal structural continuity-imparted to such bodies b my imroved' mode of im regnation. ther obects are either to in mate and toughen porous bodies such as wood-pulp articles or to ten hen and render liable materials such as Y leat er and textiles epending upon the proportions of ingredients used in the impregpregnating nating composition; and in the case of leather particularly to. fill, plump, refine the grain, increase the tensile strength, and generally to improve the physical c aracteristics of leather so as to raise its grade and market value. Another object is to deposit the imsubstance in the body of the material without leaving much if any of the substance deposited upon the external surface of the material.

Still further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which,--

, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section 1 of the preferred embodiment of my im-' proved apparatus; v

ig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

an I

Fig.3 is a vertical the apparatus. a I

The impregnating composition which I preferably employ in-my improved apparatus comprises crude petrolatum and rosin dissolved in gasolene, although it will of course be understood that the apparatus may be employed with any suitable composition. When using crude petrolatum and common rosin dissolved in gasolene, the gasolene serves asa volatile carrier to carry the mixtureofpetrolatum and rosin into the material to be impregnated and is then removed by evaporation. By increasing the proportion of rosin the treated materials may be hardened and stifltened and by increasing the proportion of petrolatum the treated materials may be renderedmore soft and pliable. The composition is preferably applied by dipping the material's'or articles into the composition and my improved apparatus is particularly intended for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a tank, (which may be of galvanized iron) about two feet wide, five feet high, and as long as the nature of the work requires. Heatin pipes D, for steam or other heating longitudinal section of agent, l e at the bottom of the tank A, andpose of preventing a skin from falling and,

crumpling on itself at the bottom of the tank, when introduced for treatment. Near the top of the tank A and adjacent tothe sides thereof there is a coil of pipe E,

through which a cooling fluid is circulated so as to supplement the cooling and condensing effect of the upper parts of the walls of the tank A. By prolonging the walls of the tank upward, the cooling ,and condensing effect can be obtained without the erhployment of coolin pipes or other refrirge'ratirri or condensing evices. Roll-shafts and i at the top and bottom of the tank A, respec' tively, carry conveyer chains or belts G which are provided with cross-rods H, on which clips orother convenient attaching devices are secured. The pulley J (Figs. 2 and 3) driven from any suitable source of power, rotates shaft F and thus causes the conveyer to move in the tank A.

'The tank being filled to the level L, L, (say nine inches to a foot above the false bottom or grating B) with the crude petrolatum-rosin-gasolene composition, steam is circulated through the pipes D, causing the composition to boil. The vapor generated rises in the tank, is condensed and falls back either as a mist or as liquid which trickles down thesides of the tank. Im-

mediately above the liquid composition there ismaintained an atmosphere of gasolene vapor. The effect of the condensation is to keep gasolene vapors from escaping into the room, in which, although gasolene is bein boiled in an open vessel, there will behar 1y a noticeable gasolene odor.

A skin, as for instance a sheep or calfskin, coltskin, cowhide,- or an kind of skin or hide, is attached to I clips and carried down into the tank A. The operator holds the free end of the skin S until it may be lowered down upon the inclined apron C, where the leather clings slightly on account of the wetness of the surface of the apron, and .is 'drawn through the boiling composition and lifted out, as the oonveyer G travels. As the hide or skin enters the composition the air is driven out of the pores and the composition solution strikes in, thoroughly impregnating the leather. As the leather is drawn out of the composition it is bathed inthe vapor which occupies the central part of the tank, over theliquid level,

and this vapor-washing remotes from the surface of the leather all streaks of greasy material which otherwise might remain and degrade the leather. This vapor bath degreases the leather to a slight degree, just enough to clean its surface thoroughly. The leather is then hung up to dry, either in the open, or ina drying room. I The physical character of the product depends on the selection of proportions of ingredients in the treating composition, and

almost any desired variation in'result can be obtained'after experience with, and manipulation, of, the composition. For instance, to make an improved waterproof leather, use equal parts of crude petrolatum and rosin, and an amount of gasolene which weighs about eighty per cent of the combined weight of the other two ingredients' If the gasolene is of specific gravity sixty, heat it to 200 F. in the treating tank and regulate the travel of the conveyer so that the leather will be immersed about fifteen seconds. The product, after drying, will be pletely waterproof.

firmer, harder, and less flexible than the untreated leather, will 'be permanently waterproof, much more resistant to wear,

and has a surface susceptible of receiving need not be immersed longer than ten sec-- onds. The product is well plumped, the quality and feel of the grain refined and improved; the leather issoft and flexible,

of'higher tensile strength than originally,

and improved in grade. It is, like all products thus treated with my composition, com- This treatment does not seem to affect coloring matter in the leather, but imparts improved character to all kindsof leather without incidental detriment. Cemented laminated leather belting can be advantageously treated with my composition which imparts the waterproof character to the belting, increases its tensile strength, decreases its liability to stretching,

and gives it a traction surface which re quires little or no belt-dressing.

The vapor hath given to leather on emerging from the liquid composition in apparatus such as above described is particularly important and beneficial, since it prevents any greasy streaks or exudations from remaining on the surface of the leather.

As to treatment of other flexible materials than leather; I have waterproofed cloth garments, tent cloth and miscellaneous textile articles, by giving them a single treatment in all essentials like that above prescribed for flexible glove or upper leather. I have also treatedwood-pulp articles, using a composition of four pounds of rosin and three pounds of crude petrolatum to the gallon of gasolene, immersing the wood-pulp articles in the composition at a temperature about 200 F., leaving them immersed long enough to insure thorough penetration. The product when .dry is highly indurated, tough, and takes a high polish. The complete waterproof character of the product impregnated will depend onthe degree of penetration or impregnation desired, the

thickness of the body, the degree of fineness ing from a solution in a lower part of theof its pores or interstices, the temperature of the composition, and the degree of concentration of soluble ingredients therein. By variations inthese factors almost any conceivable character or degree of impregnation can be obtained.

I claim:

. 1. Apparatus for impregnating articles in a volatile solution comprising an open tank adapted to contain the volatile solution at the bottom and to confine vapor from the solution above the solution, the'tank being relatively narrow and deep so that the vapor rising to the upper portion thereof is condensed when the tank is surrounded by a relatively cold medium whereby the vapor is restrained from escaping from the tank, and means for passing articles through the solution and then through the vapor.

2. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel having an opening for the introduction of materials to be treated, and means to condense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in the vessel, the condensing,-

' means being disposed between the solution and said opening. a

3. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent,-c0mprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials to be treated, means to heat a solution in the vessel, and means at an upper part of.

the vessel to condense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in a lower part of the vessel.

Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials to be treated, means to heat a solution in the vessel, and refrigerating means at an upper part of the vessel .to condense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in a lower part of the vessel.

5. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials to be treated, means to heat a solution in the vessel, a perforate shield over the heating means, and means at an upper part of the vessel to condense vaporized solvent emanatvessel.

6. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel open for the introduction of'materials to betreated, a conveyer to carry materials into and out of a solution in the vessel, and means at an upper part of the vessel to condense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in a lower part of the vessel.

7. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions involatile solvent, -comprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials to be treated, a conveyer to carry materials into and out of a solution in the vessel, means to heat a solution in the vessel, and means at refrigerating means at an upper part of the vessel to condense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in a lower part of the "essel.

9. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials to be treated, a conveyer to carry materials into and out of a solution in the vessel, means to heat a solution in the vessel, a perforate shield over the heating means, and means at an upper art of the vesselto condense vaporized so vent emanating from a solution in a lower part of the vessel.

10. Apparatus for treating materials with solutions in volatile solvent, comprising a vessel open for the introduction of materials dense vaporized solvent emanated by a solution in a lower part of the vessel.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts,

this 25th day of April, 1918.

WINTWORTH V. LANDER. 

